iO WEST ARMANDO WITH BOB ODENKIRK: Actor, comedian, writer, and director Bob Odenkirk is set to host the Armando show Monday night, January 28 at 9:00 PM at iO WEST in Hollywood. Odenkirk, a former writer for Saturday Night Live, starred in Mr. Show With Bob and David, and recently directed The Brothers Solomon. He will appear in The Armando Show as part of iO WEST’s month-long series of WGA benefit shows, and the theater will be donating half its box office proceeds to the WGA Industry Support Fund. For tickets and info. call 323-962-7560. Check out the website at iowest.com.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 30:NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS WALK THE LINE: Northwestern University Alumni (otherwise known as the "NU Mafia") are cordially invited to join their fellow writers, actors and other supporters, Wednesday, January 30, from 11:30-2:30 PM, at NBC Burbank. Scheduled to attend: Perry Rein, Maria Ferrari, John Lehr and many more to be announced.

THURSDAY JANUARY 31:AFSCME PICKET AT UCLA: UC workers’ contract expires Jan 31 with no agreement in sight. Join hundreds of custodians, food service workers, nursing assistants, medical assistants and techs to support their effort for fairness and respect. Thursday, January 31, 12 NOON, at UCLA Medical Center (Westwood Boulevard and Jules Stein Plaza).

TMA SOLIDARITY: The Talent Managers Association will be picketing in solidarity with us at NBC Burbank from 12 pm - 3 pm.

"TV TAKES THE STAGE": A benefit weekend of original, short theatre written exclusively by striking TV writers. Participants include writers from Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Cold Case, My So-Called Life, CSI, Tell Me You Love Me, Law & Order, Sex & The City, The Wire, and more! ALL PROFITS from the event go to the Motion Picture and Television Fund to benefit non-writers being financially affected by the strike. Jan 31st - Feb 3rd at The Macha Theatre. Tickets are now available at Plays411, or by calling the reservation hotline at 323.960.1052.

FREAKIN' SWEET: An Evening with Family Guy's Alex Borstein & Seth MacFarlane to Benefit the Actors Fund and the WGA East Strike Fund at the legendary Carnegie Hall. This one-night-only evening of music and comedy will include wild renditions of pop anthems, musical theater numbers, and a special guest appearance by the incomparable PATTI LUPONE and JANEANE GAROFALO. Who knows? Maybe your favorite FAMILY GUY characters will stop by for a song or two.

Warning: this production contains adult language and situations that may not be suitable for all ages. Recommended for mature audiences only.

Get tickets for 25% off by visiting carnegiehall.org and using code WGA6020. Or CALL CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800 and use code WGA6020 (available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm).

TEACHING THURSDAYS AT WARNER BROS: Every Thursday writers of various genres are invited to join us at Gate 2 at Warner Bros, making themselves available to discuss story, structure and everything in between. This Thursday will be focused on multi-camera comedies. 9 AM-12 PM, Warner Bros Gate 2. For more info email Priya at http://wbteachingthursdays@gmail.com.

HOLLYWOOD WRITERS TAKE THE STAGE AT iO WEST IN HOLLYWOOD: WGA Member Brett Paesel (Mr. Show with Bob and Dave) will take the stage with fellow writers Bob Odenkirk (Saturday Night Live), Dana Gould (The Simpsons) and Jeff Garlin (Curb Your Enthusiasm) in a show called "Hardly Working" as they share their clever and hilarious wordsmithing on a multitude of subjects. Half the box goes to the WGA Industry Support Fund. 8pm at 6366 Hollywood Blvd. For tickets call 323-962-7560. Check out the website at iowest.com.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 4:iO WEST ARMANDO NIGHT WITH KATE WALSH AND MORE: Kate Walsh (Private Practice, Gray's Anatomy) and Reno 911 creator and star Robert Ben Garant will host the 3-act, 2 ½ hour improv extravaganza. Garant (along with partner Thomas Lennon) is a top screenwriter, having written the hits The Pacifier, Herbie:Fully Loaded, Balls of Fury, Night at the Museum, and the upcoming Night at the Museum 2. The Office’s Angela Kinsey, Kate Flannery, and Ed Helms as well as MADtv’s Mo Collins will be joining the cast of regular “Armando” performers including Tim Meadows (Walk Hard, SNL) for this incredible night with more special celebrity performers to be announced in the upcoming days. All proceeds go to the WGA Industry Support Fund. Tickets for this special show are $25. The show starts at 9pm. iO West is located at 6366 Hollywood Blvd. For tickets call 323-962-7560. Check out the website at iowest.com.

1 comment:

With a dozen interims under their belt, how badly does the WGA need to make a deal with the AMPTP?

Is it possible that by holding out for nothing less than the full internet deal they've put on the table, more and more prodcos will decide they can't let Lionsgate and the Weinsteins snap up all the A-list writers who will then draw the A-list actors to their projects?

In other words, is the divide and conquer strategy working so well for the WGA now that there is really no point in accepting anything less?

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